#realise

This is not the first time Steve has had to accompany Eddie to the bar on his round. Far from it, in fact. Aside from Eddie's insistence that my noodle arms have nothing on your big, strong biceps - I need you to carry them for me!, there's actually reciting the list of orders, which Eddie seems to need help with nine times out of ten.

“Yeah, I’m pretty shit at remembering those.”

The admission is accompanied by a shrug, like this is simple fact and nothing can change that. It's just… That's not actually true. Not all the time, anyway.

“You always remember mine.”

Eddie's head swings in his direction, gaze catching somewhere on his cheek before flicking up to meet his eyes. Eddie smiles and it's like gentle sunshine.

“Yeah.  Yeah, I do.”

There's a beat as they hold eye contact and Steve feels his cheeks flush. There was a sort of gravity to Eddie's confirmation, a sense of importance that Steve just can't figure out. It makes him a little flustered, in a nice sort of way.

He's feeling that a lot around Eddie these days, but he doesn't seem to be getting any closer to figuring out exactly why. It's not like he hasn't had friends before - even friends who care enough to remember the little things (Robin mostly, but also Dustin) so it's not that. It's just… Eddie.

Steve's not sure how to answer that, so he just doesn't. The bar is loud enough to cover up an uncomfortable silence, but the thing is… There isn't one. There never is with Eddie. Silences, yes. Uncomfortable? Never. Not anymore.

Steve feels his lips crook up into a smile he might call bashful if he saw it on anyone else. Eddie's only grows in answer, hints of white splitting his lips in the low light of the bar, and Steve's not sure he's ever seen a nicer smile in his life.

There's something clicking in the back of his mind, some recognition of the feelings twisting up in his stomach, but then the bartender smacks a hand down in front of them and asks if they've been served and it's gone, swept away as he recites the table's order with ease.